I Miss You, Riverbend

She’s been heavily on my mind lately, for some reason. For four years I lurked around her blog.

Her first blog post read: “So this is the beginning for me, I guess. I never thought I’d start my own weblog... All I could think, every time I wanted to start one was “But who will read it?” I guess I’ve got nothing to lose... but I’m warning you - expect a lot of complaining and ranting. I looked for a ‘rantlog’ but this is the best Google came up with.

“A little about myself: I’m female, Iraqi and 24. I survived the war. That’s all you need to know. It’s all that matters these days anyway.”

She signed that post as “Riverbend.” From that first post on Sunday, August 17, 2003, she provided us with another set of eyes with which to view this world in which we live, another view of military occupation, social upheaval, and the struggle of a young woman to find meaning in it all.

A later post on that first day of her blog read:

“Waking up anywhere in Iraq these days is a trial. It happens in one of two ways: either slowly or with a jolt. The slow process works like this: you’re hanging in a place on the edge of consciousness, mentally grabbing at the fading fragments of a dream ... something creeps up around, all over you - like a fog. A warm heavy fog. It’s the heat ... 120F on the cooler nights. Your eyes flutter open and they search the dark in dismay - the electricity has gone off. The ceiling fan is slowing down and you are now fully awake. Trying to sleep in the stifling heat is about as productive as trying to wish the ceiling fan into motion with your brain. Impossible.

“The other way to wake up, is to be jolted into reality with the sound of a gun-shot, explosion or yelling. You sit up, horrified and panicked, any dream or nightmare shattered to oblivion. What can it be? A burglar? A gang of looters? An attack? A bomb? Or maybe it’s just an American midnight raid?”

That began my fascination with the life and the search for meaning as it was unveiled by Riverbend. For four years I saw the happenings in Iraq not only through the lens of CNN but through the eyes of Riverbend.

She escaped Iraq and became a refugee in Syria in October of 2007. She wrote: “Syria is a beautiful country - at least I think it is. I say ‘I think’ because while I perceive it to be beautiful, I sometimes wonder if I mistake safety, security and normalcy for beauty.”

That was Riverbend’s last post to her blog “Baghdad Burning.” I hope her life came to fruition. But like so many who were captivated by the words of such a beautiful spirit in a time of horrible upheaval I constantly wonder if she is okay, if she has found happiness and beauty and security.

Ah, Riverbend, I miss and lift prayers for you. And I hope that someday the promise you held out to all of us who read your words will be realized: “ ... I’ll meet you ‘round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend ....”

Comments

[teri]

i miss her too. I keep hoping for a random new post to pop up in google reader, but I think she may be done blogging for real. sigh.

[SingingOwl]

Odd you posted this. I had not thought of her for a while and Last week I thought of her several times. I think prayer is in order for sure!